


The Debut

by RAAMIsABeast



Series: The Ring [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Animalistic, Class Differences, Danger, Fights, Gladiators, Graphic Description, Killing, Mages, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 20:47:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21042533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RAAMIsABeast/pseuds/RAAMIsABeast
Summary: "Sir Lemdri will introduce his Gladiator now, who I've been told is to be named after its fight."As the mage spoke, the man had unleashed the beast, removing the tarp and revealing the creature to the crowd once again.





	The Debut

A large crowd had gathered today, humans and androids taking their seats upon the raised dais curving around a pit in the middle. The higher classes, really, separated from the lower class by opportunities, prejudice, greed and fashion choices. And pets. Androids themselves were of the higher classes, never the top of the top, but pretty high. Why, an unfamiliar face, perhaps a foreigner or a child, might ask? Because they were useful for keeping pets in line.

Taking the stand, a man stood in a dark blue robe embroidered with golden silk, pressing his finger to his throat. A mage, and a well respected one, for while he may be old, his way with the beasts who brought entertainment so fulfillingly was remarkable. Mages were well respected anyway. One never knew when their many talents could become useful.

“Good evening, ladies, gentlemen and other.”

He cracked a pleasant smile, charming even as it drew more wrinkles to the surface. To many, he reminded them of an old grandad with a happy expression.

“Tonight, we have a fight to look forward to! Our long reigning Champion of the East, the Skull Basher-”

Cheers rang out at the people's favourite’s name, some people swooning. They paid high prices to have their pets bear such prodigious young, and even to bed the Champion himself. He was well trained after all. The old mage expected nothing else from his own hand.

Once the cheers and whooping had died down, he began again.

“Will fight the Champion of the North, the Ice King!”

The other half of the Ring erupted in shouts, the Northerners cheering on their Champion. He waited out the rise in noise, patient and in no rush. The night was young, after all.

"But first, we have a new Gladiator to break in. After his reveal last month, where he nearly escaped, he has risen to the second spot of the favourite chart! It looks like our Skull Basher has a worthy contender for the top spot."

Tonight would be the Gladiator's debut fight, where his Master had requested he be pit against someone his age. It had taken a while to find another Gladiator in the same age range, and he was still older than her by quite a few decades.

"Please give up a shout to encourage Sir Lemdri to being out his newest Gladiator to entertain you all."

Even more cheers. Aside from the old mage, Sir Lemdri's Gladiators were the most well trained, and the most aggressive. Not counting his new one, obviously.

Sir Lemdri entered the pit below, waving amicably at the crowd above. Behind him, cuffed in cast iron and covered by a length of tarp, the Gladiator followed, muzzled and leashed. From this distance, the Mage measured it to be the size of a small horse. Next to the middle aged human was his eldest, his daughter.

She was dressed similarly to her father, hiding her dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes from the crowd, until she raised her eyes to meet the gaze of a younger man right on the front seat. Most likely her brother, judging by his similar looks. Both were lighter than their father, no doubt taking after the fair Lady Lemdri herself.

"Sir Lemdri will introduce his Gladiator now, who I've been told is to be named after its fight."

As the mage spoke, the man had unleashed the beast, removing the tarp and revealing the creature to the crowd once again. A carolina blue back slowly melted into a sky blue underside, the two blues creating a smoky pattern along its flanks, where they met. Crimson eyes, two pairs, rolled on either side of the creatures head, with one pair at the front and one pair at the side. Two large nostrils sat above a jagged set of exposed teeth, muzzle stretched out and snapped shut by the contraption around its jaws.

Along its neck, a thin line of purple fur started between two bat-like ears, and ran down their back, all the way to its stubby tail. Their shoulders and their hips had a small dusting of the fine purple hairs, as if someone had plucked them from the sparse mane and sprinkled them over it.

Its stance was strange for a Gladiator, being quadrepedal rather than bipedal. Interesting too, no doubt.

At the bottom of each thickset leg was a big paw. The front two paws had longer fingers, with retractable claws, while the back two were more stereotypical paws, thicker and with blunt, nonretractable claws.

With an echoing click, the muzzle fell away and was passed over to the daughter.

"Thank you, High Mage Drana."

Sir Lemdri bowed respectfully, his confidence with the new Gladiator shining through as he took the vulnerable position right by the beast's canine like face.

It growled at him, snapping its jaws right by his face. To his credit, Sir Lemdri held the bow with no flinch or any sign he had even registered the creature. His daughter held her pose too, though her eyes had jumped to the beast, weary.

Once he stood upright again, he turned to the beast and gripped something under its chin that must hurt it, for it yowled and yanked its head back. Ah, there. Underneath its chin, he had affixed small chains into its throat. Pulling them must cause pressure on a sensitive spot. Ingenious.

"As you can see, its still a work in progress, but its tenacity during training with my other Gladiators is exemplary. Even when it loses a limb."

He grinned, patting the beasts shoulder. It rumbled with another growl, side stepping a little.

"Loses a limb?"

"Oh yes. It's healing is fast. One sleep and it's ready to fight once again."

The crowd oohed, pleased by this knowledge. And exciting knowledge it was! A beast that didn't require medical treatment after a fight.

"How intriguing, Sir Lemdri. I bet it will provide more than satisfactory entertainment."

"I bet too, High Mage Drana."

The human bowed again and pat the side of the beast once again before leaving the pit.

"It knows the fight signal, but I can't guarantee it won't leap as soon as it gets the chance."

Soon, the Mage knew, Sir Lemdri would have beaten that out of the Gladiator.

The new Gladiators opponent, a female with a nasty set of oversized claws and hands, hence her name of Razor Claws, roared as she came into the Ring. Her Master was taken sick, and so his brother was the one to introduce the Gladiator and release her claws from the metal sheaths holding them away.

Her skin was duller now, in her old age, and her Master expected her to die every fight. So far, she was exceeding his expectations. However, most of her fights had been with young Gladitors. This time, she was facing a beast that wasn't only wild caught, but with quite a few decades more of experience on its belt.

This would be interesting.

Once the brother had left the Ring, the starting bell rang out, and the two Gladiators leapt into action. Both roared, and Razor Claws struck first. Her claws sang as they sliced through the air, but they missed their target. It had jumped over her, landing where she had stood during her introduction.

It barked, loud and crackling, ragged teeth bared and hackles raised. Curiously, the fur seemed to quiver, shimmering as the light bounced off its undulations.

For a moment, Razor Claw was stunned it had dodged her attack, before she snarled and ran at it again.

Strangely, the beast ran from her, dodging and weaving through her strikes. It leapt up onto the side of the pit, claws latching on as the creature heaved itself up higher, where her straining form couldn't reach. Muscles defined themselves under its rough looking hide as it turned itself to face downward, all four pupils fully focused on the other being.

A snarl rippled through its open and slowly drooling jaw, crouching close to the wall. Razor Claws roared up at the beast in frustration, stomping below it. What an interesting turn.

"Come down!"

She howled, rage fueling her to try and use her own claws to climb up. A mistake.

The beast's pupils narrowed instantly, and it pounced upon her with a snarl. Large teeth cracked bone as it bit down on her head and crushed her skull between its jaws, body forcing hers off the wall and slamming her into the ground.

She wasn't dead, however. Not yet.

Her scythe-like claws ripped open the creature's side as she threw it off, the agony of her grievous wound tearing a scream from her throat.

Limping away, to a safe distance, the new Gladiator watched like a big cat stalking it's prey, eyes trained on her as she managed to stumble to her feet.

A bit if her skull fell out from under her blood matted hair, and she wailed with fresh pain. Blood poured down her body, blinding her and soaking the ground beneath her feet.

"I'll kill you!"

She lurched forward, after the beast, who merely walked out of reach once again, jaws wide as it panted and drooled some more. Her blood painted its nose, and its surprisingly pink tongue lapped some from its skin.

For a second, its throat worked like it would throw up, and then...

"Will you?"

The voice to flop out its mouth was gravelly from disuse, and crackled like its bark had. It also had a slight warble to it, and was distinctly masculine. Maybe.

She hesitated, put off by the voice the beast had, and collapsed to her knees from the bloodloss.

"Yes..."

Razor Claws growled, though she didn't get back up. Not even when it was within her reach, sinuously creeping closer. It spared her one more second before launching forward and shoving its head through her ribcage, yanking out her still pulsing heart. With a roar, warbling and victorious, it swallowed her heart.

It had won.

Sir Lemdri entered the pit again, narrowing his eyes as the beast started breaking more bones to start eating her, and ignoring his call.

Sickly slurping sounds came from within her as it seemed to vacuum her insides. When it was done, the bleeding wounds on its flanks were no more.

"Well, Sir Lemdri..."

The High Mage's voice caught when four crimson eyes snapped to him.

"You have yourself quite a beast there."

"Indeed. I think I'll call it-"

"Him."

The beast snarled, snapping.

"Him, the Barghest."

The roar of the crowd broke the Mage from his staring into the soulless eyes of the newly named Gladiator, and he felt fainter now.

The Barghest growled as he was leashed and muzzled, a yank on the chains under his chin keeping him in line.

As he was led off, the Mage couldn't help but wonder: for how long?


End file.
